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U.S. Sanctions Lebanese Officials and Hezbollah Affiliates Over Alleged Obstruction of Disarmament Efforts
This is Beirut 21/05 17:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Iran LAF United States
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in a move Washington described as part of a broader campaign to reinforce Lebanese sovereignty and weaken Hezbollah’s influence over state institutions. The sanctions, announced ...
Aoun’s Anticipated Washington Visit a Rare Opportunity for Lebanon
Samar El-Kadi 12/05 10:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Washington Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah
As Lebanon prepares to continue U.S.-mediated talks with Israel later this week, a potential trip by President Joseph Aoun to Washington is increasingly being viewed in Beirut as a rare opportunity that cannot be missed. “President Aoun should absolutely go to Washington,” Lebanese Forces MP Ghayyath Yazbeck told This is Beirut. “He ...
Escalation in Southern Lebanon Intensifies Amid Regional Diplomatic Efforts with Iran
This is Beirut 23/05 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon South Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army
Military activity sharply escalated in southern Lebanon on Saturday despite ongoing diplomatic signals of potential breakthroughs in regional negotiations involving Iran and the United States. The Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued two separate evacuation warnings covering a total of 15 towns and villages in southern ...
Iran Military Official Says Renewed War with U.S. 'Likely'
This is Beirut 02/05 11:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Lebanon Democrats Gulf Hezbollah
A senior Iranian military officer said on Saturday that renewed fighting between the US and Iran was "likely", hours after President Donald Trump said he was "not satisfied" with a new Iranian negotiating proposal. Iran delivered the draft to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, state media reported without detailing its ...
U.K. Defence Secretary: Britain Commits £115 Million, HMS Dragon and Typhoon Jets to Hormuz Security Mission
This is Beirut 12/05 20:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The United Kingdom has announced a significant military contribution to a planned multinational maritime mission aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor frequently exposed to regional security tensions. Speaking during a virtual multinational summit of defence ministers, UK Defence ...
Iran Supreme Leader Says Region Will 'No Longer Serve as Shields' for U.S. Bases
This is Beirut 26/05 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Tehran United States USA Washington Khamenei USIranWar Hormuz
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Tuesday that regional countries would no longer be shields for U.S. bases in a written statement carried by state television. "What is certain in this regard is that the hands of time will not turn backwards, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for ...
Lebanon and Israel Agree on Peace, Disagree on Sequence
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 11/05 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu UN Security Council
The Lebanese and Israeli governments are fully aligned on the goal of their diplomatic talks. When all is said and done, Hezbollah will be fully disarmed, Israel will have ended its security actions in Lebanon and fully withdrawn, and the border will be demarcated. The two countries will then have reached a bilateral peace agreement. The challenge ...
Iran FM Says U.S. Willing to Continue Talks, Open to China's Help
This is Beirut 15/05 15:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran USA China Israel Pakistan Hormuz
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday he had "received messages" from the United States saying it is willing to continue talks and that he was open to any support, including from China. "We received messages again from the Americans saying that they are willing to continue the talks and continue the ...
U.S. Awaits Iran Response to Latest Deal Offer
This is Beirut 07/05 18:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Gulf Hezbollah
The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to respond to its latest proposed deal to end the war in the Middle East and to reopen the key shipping lane out of the Gulf. Oil prices tumbled five percent after U.S. President Donald Trump said once again that an agreement could be near after positive talks and Iran said it would pass on its ...
Iran Keeps U.S. Waiting for Response on Peace Plan
This is Beirut 09/05 17:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Iran USA Hormuz Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Trump Negotiations
Iran questioned the seriousness of American diplomacy on Saturday in the wake of renewed naval clashes in the Gulf, while keeping Washington waiting for a response to its latest negotiating position. U.S. President Donald Trump had said on Friday that he was expecting Iran's response to Washington's latest proposal for a deal to extend a fragile ...
Can Lebanon's Military Court Break Free of Hezbollah's Shadow?
Kaline Antoun 02/04 09:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Army Israel Joseph Aoun
Lebanon’s Military Court has drawn scrutiny for its handling of detainees linked to Hezbollah, reigniting long-standing criticism over its politicization and expansive legal authority. On March 9, the Military Court controversially ordered the release of three individuals arrested by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on charges of illegally ...
Kuwait and Bahrain Announce New Cases Linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
This is Beirut 12/05 13:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Kuwait Bahrain Iran IRGC Gulf Security
Kuwaiti authorities announced Tuesday the arrest of four suspected infiltrators allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing them of attempting to enter the country by sea to carry out “hostile acts” against the Gulf state. According to Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, the suspects admitted ...
IDF Chief of Staff Approves Continued Military Plans in Lebanon
This is Beirut 24/05 20:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Gulf Hamas
As negotiations between the United States and Iran reportedly advance toward a potential breakthrough, Israeli officials are simultaneously signaling that military pressure on Hezbollah will continue unabated. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved new operational plans for the continuation of the military campaign on the northern front ...
'Staggering' Iran Toll Drives Up Global Executions: Amnesty
This is Beirut 18/05 03:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran put to death over 2,150 people last year, a "staggering" increase that pushed recorded worldwide executions to their highest level since 1981, Amnesty International said Monday. Amnesty said it had confirmed the executions of at least 2,707 people globally in 2025. Of these cases, 2,159 were in Iran, a figure more than double that of 2024, ...
Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Says Quarterly Profits Up as Crude Prices Surge
This is Beirut 10/05 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Saudi Aramco Iran Gulf USA USIranWar Economy
Saudi oil giant Aramco said Sunday its net profit rose by 25.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, after the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices soaring. The result comes as uncertainty plagues global markets over the conflict's trajectory, with Iran restricting the passage of hydrocarbons through the strategic ...
Iran Says 'No Decision' on Whether to Attend Next Round of U.S. Talks
This is Beirut 20/04 09:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Donald Trump Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States. "As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press ...
The Hidden Costs of a U.S.-Iran Deal Involving Lebanon
Marwan El Amine 29/05 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Tehran Washington
Amid U.S. and Iranian efforts to forge an agreement to end their conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on May 23 pledging that Tehran would press for a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon. Hezbollah quickly welcomed Iran’s determination to keep Lebanon within its sphere of influence. The ...
Lebanon Sees Fiercest Escalation Since Ceasefire as Israeli Strikes Reach South of Beirut
This is Beirut 09/05 22:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Ceasefire Beirut Disarmament
Lebanon witnessed its most severe military escalation since the April ceasefire on Saturday, as Israeli airstrikes expanded beyond southern border areas and struck locations south of Beirut for the first time since the truce took effect. The escalation came amid growing uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire agreement and only days before ...
Trump Says U.S. Not Likely to Accept New Iran Peace Proposal
This is Beirut 03/05 09:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Trump Iran USA Negotiations Islamabad USIranWar
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he would review a new Iranian peace proposal but cast doubt over its prospects as he left open the possibility of future attacks on Iran. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with one round of peace talks to end the more than two-month ...
Why Lebanon Still Lacks a Viable Shia Alternative
Marwan El Amine 21/05 17:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Amal Hezbollah Israel Washington
An important question is increasingly being raised among sovereigntist political circles in Lebanon and within regional and international forums, particularly in Washington: where is the Shia alternative to the Hezbollah-Amal political alliance? Some parties ask this question in good faith, based on the conviction that any meaningful path toward ...
Trump’s Deal of the Century for Lebanon
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 04/05 09:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Lebanon Benjamin Netanyahu Banks EDL
Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas do not end wars; they only pause them. They make limited concessions to secure a ceasefire, only to exploit the fragile status quo to rearm and prepare for the next round. This is why they shun direct negotiations, whether between Lebanon and Israel or the U.S. and Iran, preferring instead to haggle over irrelevant ...
UAE Air Defenses Intercept 3 Drones Entering From Western Border
This is Beirut 17/05 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Gulf Israel Saudi Arabia Tehran
The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday evening that its air defenses intercepted three drones that entered the country from the western border direction, with two successfully neutralized while a third struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region. The UAE Ministry of ...
Oil Prices Retreat as Trump Delays Iran Strike Amid Diplomatic Push
This is Beirut 19/05 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Donald Trump Middle East Tehran United States Oil Hormuz
Global oil prices fell on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had postponed a planned military strike on Iran, opting instead to give diplomacy another chance in an effort to end the escalating conflict in the Middle East. In a statement posted on social media Monday evening, Trump said a U.S. attack initially scheduled for ...
Gulf Clash Threatens Hopes for Quick U.S.-Iran Deal
This is Beirut 08/05 13:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Iran USA Trump Hormuz Negotiations Lebanon Hezbollah USIranWar
A new clash between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Gulf dented optimism for a negotiated peace Friday, despite President Donald Trump insisting a shaky truce was still holding while the sides inch towards a deal. U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones, and small boats at three U.S. warships overnight but that none ...
From War To Business Suits: What Peace with Israel Could Mean for Lebanon's Economy
Ralph Atrach 17/04 23:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam Gulf Hezbollah
As Lebanese and Israeli officials met face to face in Washington for the first time in decades, the war with Hezbollah dominated headlines, but the prospect of future economic ties between Jerusalem and Beirut came into view. Following the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter brought up the potential windfalls of peace. “The ...
U.S. Says Ball in Iran's Court as Push Grows to End War
This is Beirut 14/04 12:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
USA Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Gulf New York
The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal. US Vice President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the "final and best offer".Iran ...
Beyond Mediation: How Washington Is Recasting Lebanon–Israel Negotiations
Jeremy Brecher 22/04 21:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
United States Lebanon Israel Negotiations Trump
The U.S. is set to mediate a second round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials on Thursday as part of the first such series of direct negotiations between the two sides since 1993. These diplomatic engagements come nearly a year and a half after the previous Lebanon-Israel ceasefire framework. In November 2024 under the Biden ...
Iran Reaffirms Support for Hezbollah and Calls for Lebanon-Inclusive Regional Ceasefire Proposal
This is Beirut 23/05 17:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Ceasefire Nawaf Salam Lebanon Joseph Aoun
Hezbollah claimed that it’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlining Tehran’s position on regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the conflict. According to the statement, Iran reaffirmed its continued support for what it described as “movements ...
Washington Hardens Stance on Tehran Amid Rising Regional Tensions
This is Beirut 18/05 21:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Tehran Washington Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Israel
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to harden his posture toward Tehran during a phone interview with the New York Post, signaling that Washington is no longer willing to soften its position in ongoing negotiations with Iran. Trump said he was “not open to any concessions” following what he described as a disappointing Iranian ...
Lebanon’s Peace Should Not Wait on Saudi Arabia
Marwan El Amine 11/05 12:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Saudi Arabia Hezbollah Israel
At the most immediate level, the U.S.-brokered push for Lebanon-Israel diplomacy faces the obstacle of Hezbollah’s weapons—or, more precisely, the arsenal of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Lebanese territory. The drive for diplomacy must also overcome a shortsighted approach to peace that is emerging in Lebanon. Some ...